Clip setting tools

ABSTRACT

A HAND-HELD POWER TOOL FOR DRIVING A RETAINING CLIP INTO FASTENING ENGAGEMENT WITH A STUD, THE TOOL COMPRISING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE STUD, MEANS PROXIMATE TO THE STUD ENGAGING MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE CLIP, AND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING THE CLIP ENGAGING MEANS RELATIVE TO THE STUD ENGAGING MEANS WHEREBY TO DRIVE THE CLIP INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STUD.

United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 29-230 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand-held power tool for driving a retaining clip into fastening engagement with a stud, the tool comprising means for engaging the stud, means proximate to the stud engaging means for engaging the clip, and power means for moving' the clip engaging means relative to the stud engaging means whereby to drive the clip into engagement with the stud.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to power tools and is directed more particularly to a hand-held power tool for urging a retaining clip into engagement with "a stud whereby to fasten the clip to the stud.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Application for U.S. Letters Patent Ser. No. 681,446, filed Nov. fl, 1967, in the name of E. A. Meyer, relates to a retaining clip which has means for receiving a stud and bcvelled edges for cuttingly engaging the stud. In order to set the lclip on the stud it is necessary to move the clip substantially laterally and with sufficient force to urge the bevelled edges into cutting engagement with the stud.

Ordinary pliers are suitable for the clip setting operation in some instances, one jaw of the pliers being in engagement with the stud and the other jaw of the pliers being in engagement with an edge of the clip, whereby closing the jaws urges the clip cutting edges into the stud. While such procedure is entirely satisfactory in many instances, it will be appreciated that where high production rates and extensive use of the clips require a high rate of clip setting operations, the manual clip setting proves somewhat inefficient, both with respect to speed of operations and operator fatigue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide power means for setting clips of the type above described.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such power means which is adapted to being hand-held, is rugged in construction and light in weight, and which has a high speed of operation.

With the above and other objects invview, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the present invention is the provision in a hand-held tool of gripper means for engaging a stud and clip disposed on the stud, drive means for operating the gripper means, and control means for initiating operation of the drive means.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular tool embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section and partly cut away, showing one 4form of tool illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the tool shown in FIG. l, but shown in position for a clip setting operation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view showing the jaws of the tool at the beginning of a clip setting operation;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, but shows the tool jaws upon completion of a clip setting operation; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a set clip.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the illustrative device includes a body 2 comprising a grip portion 4. Mounted in the body 2 is a cylinder 6 in which is disposed a piston 8 having a rst piston head 10 at one end and a second and larger piston head 12 at the other end. Each piston head 10, 12 may have a groove therein for the retention of a sealing ring 14. The interior of the cylinder 6 has an enlarged portion 16 to receive the second, or larger, piston head 12. The second piston head 12, being larger in diameter, has a surface area greater than the first piston head 10. A piston rod 18 is attached to the piston 8 and extends forwardly therefrom (leftwardly as viewed in FIG. l).

Secured to the cylinder 6, as by a connecting means, herein illustrated as an internally threaded collar 20, is a barrel member 22 having an elongated bore 24 which receives the free end of the piston rod 18. Pivotally mounted on the barrel member 22 is a jaw member 26 having at one end drive clip engagement means 28 and at the other end a cam surface 30 engageable with a cam surface 32 on the piston rod 18. The barrel member 22 also includes a bore 36 which receives a stud S (FIGS. 3 and 4) on which a drive clip C is to be set. The barrel member 22 and the jaw member 26 are provided with opposed bores 38, 40 respectively which receive a coil spring 42 which biases the jaw 26 outwardly from the barrel 22, as shown in FIG. 2. Engagement of the jaw member cam surface 30 by the piston rod cam surface 32 when the piston 6 and its rod 1-8 move to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3, causes the jaw member 26 to pivot about its mounting, which may be a pivot pin 34, and against the force of the spring 42 from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. l position.

The drive clip engagement means 28 includes a slot 44 adapted to receive a flange portion F (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the clip C. Proximate to the slot 44 is at least one magnet 46 herein shown embedded in the jaw member 26 and forming part of the walls of the slot 44. The magnet assists in locating the ange portion F of the clip C in the slot 44 of the jaw member 26. Magnets may also be used, though not shown in the illustrative example, proximate to the bore 36 to facilitate locating of the stud S in the stud receiving bore 36.

Referring again to FIG. 1, it. will be seen that the cylinder is provided with bores 48, 50 which serve as pressurized fluid inlets and also as exhaust outlets, depending upon which side of the piston head 12 is pressurized. A uid conducting tube 52 is connected to the tool to provide pressurized uid, such as air, for the cylinder 6. Pivotally mounted on the body 2 is a trigger mechanism 54 which may be spring biased to the inoperative position 54 shown in phantom in FIG. 1. Also mounted on the body 2 and proximate to the trigger 54 is a switch 56 including a plunger 58 engageable by the trigger. The switch 56 operates a valve, not shown but located in the grip portion 4 and operative to conduct pressurized fluid from the tube 52 to either of the inlets 48, 50 permitting exhausting to atmosphere of the inlet not in communication with the tube 52.

In the operation of the device, the trigger 54 is normally in position shown in phantom in FIG. 1 between operating cycles. In such position pressurized air or other uid from the tube 52 is directed by way of the abovementioned valve through the bore 48 to till the area within the cylinder bounded by the two piston heads 10, 12. `Inasmuch as the face area of the second piston head `12 exceeds that of the first piston head 10, the piston 8 is forced toward the back end of the cylinder 6, or right end as viewed in FIG. 1. The bore 50 is open to exhaust air which otherwise might be trapped behind the piston head 12. When the piston 8 is in the rearward position the piston rod 18 is displaced from the jaw member 26, as shown in FIG. 2, permitting the jaw member to pivot outwardly from the barrel member 22 under the inuence ofthe spring 42.

The operator engages a clip C with the clip engagement means 28, locating the flange portion F of the clip in the slot 44 of the jaw member 26. The magnets 4.6 assist in facilitating the picking up of a clip by the tool without manual operations on the part of the operator, other than handling the tool.

For illustrative purposes, it will be assumed that a metal support member M is to have a panel member P attached to it. The support member M is provided with a headless threadless stud S, as by welding or adhesive means, and the panel member P is provided with a hole H (FIG. 3) which receives the stud S.

The operator places the free end of the barrel member upon the stud, the stud being received by an enlarged portion L of a key-hole slot and by the bore 36 in the barrel member. The clip C which now has the stud disposed in the enlarged portion of the key-hole slot (best seen in FIG. is in position for being driven onto the stud.

To set the clip C on the stud S the operator pulls the trigger 54 into engagement with the plunger 58 which actuates the switch 56 which shifts a valve, not shown, but located in the grip portion of the tool, which exhausts the bore 48 and directs pressurized fluid to the bore 50. The piston 8 is accordingly moved forward (leftwardly as viewed in FIG. l). As the piston moves forward the piston rod moves forward correspondingly causing the cam surface 32 of the piston rod to engage the cam surface 30 of the jaw member 26, whereby to force the jaw member from the open position shown in FIG. 2 to the closed position shown in FIG. 1, and causing the clip C to be driven from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. `4. Cutting edges E disposed about the key-hole slot of the clip are thereby caused to cuttingly engage the stud S so as to securely aix the clip C to the stud S whereby to prevent escape of the panel P from between the clip and the support M. If it is desired that the panel P be attached snugly to the support M, the ,tool need only be pressed firmly against the clip during the setting operation. The clip, being of leaf-spring conguration, tends to urge the panel retained thereby toward the support.

Upon setting of the clip, lthe tool is withdrawn from the stud and clip and the trigger released by the operator. The trigger returns to the inoperative position, causing the bore to exhaust and the bore 49 to receive pressurized air, whereby to return the piston to its rearward position in preparation for another cycle of operations.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in Ithe drawings, but also comprises any modications or equivalents within the scope of the disclosure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a tool for securing a leaf spring type clip on a stud adjacent to its base, the clip having an upturned end and a slot extending generally normal thereto, the slot having an enlarged opening for initially receiving the stud and provided with opposed cutting edges extending therefrom and spaced for thereafter transversely engaging and gripping the opposite side surfaces of the stud, a body portion having a clip engaging end formed with a recess to axially receive the stud when loosely inserted through said enlarged clip opening, a jaw pivotally mounted on the body portion for movement between an open position wherein a recess in the jaw receives said up-turned end of the clip and a closed position to force said edges of said slot to cut transversely into the stud and aix the clip securely thereon, the jaw being swingable about a fulcrum positioned in the body portion transversely of said clip engaging end and spaced therefrom, and iluid pressure means in said body por tion under the control of an operator for causing the jaw to close and thereby force the clip to slidably engage said body engaging end and thereby laterally position the clip with the stud securely seated in said slot at the end thereof remote from said enlarged opening.

2. A tool asset forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of said jaw fulcrum is offset laterally lfrom the axis of the stud receiving recess in the body portion by substantially the distance of the jaw recess therefrom when said jaw is closed, and surfaces of the body portion and said jaw are disposed to be engaged to limit jaw closure whereby the clip is not distorted during its securement to said stud.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,086 12/1915 Gooding 29-211 2,478,881 8/ 1949 Wayrynen 29-268 2,895,214 7/ 1959 Erdmann 29--229 3,111,870 11/1963 Anderson 81--301X 3,390,446 7/ 1968 Ettorre 29-252 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner I. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R, 297-1252.; 227-141 

